In 1995, the Oregon Legislature enacted Senate Bill 951, which included a provision calling for the establishment of an Energy Facility Siting Task Force to review the public’s interest in the siting of energy facilities and to develop and present recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature addressing the appropriate public interest in the siting of energy facilities.

In early 1996, Governor Kitzhaber appointed Mike Katz, Tamra Mabbott, Bob Shiprack, Anne Squier, and Duncan Wyse to serve on the Task Force. In addition, the President of the Senate appointed Senator Ron Cease, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives appointed Representative Jim Welsh, to be members of the Task Force.

In October 1996, the Task Force presented its findings an recommendations in a report to the Governor and the Legislature. The Task force recommended:

Elimination of the standard relating to the need for proposed electric generating facilities.

Retention of the need standard for nongenerating facilities.

Adoption of a climate change standard.

Elimination of the requirement that at least 80 percent of the output from a proposed thermal generating facility be under contract before beginning construction.

Clarification that economic need for new elecric generating facilities should be shown by reliance on competition in the market and not by consideration of cost-effectiveness.

Development of a model energy facility siting ordinance for use by local governments.

Adoption of more contemporary legislative findings in support of state energy policy as set forth in ORS 469.010.

The Task Force Report and appendices are available from the links below.